Artwork by established and emerging women artists from the South Jersey art community.

At AAHMSNJ Newtonville (Martin Luther King Center)

661 Jackson Road, Newtonville, NJ 08346

A new Jersey Girls Exhibit will be on display at the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey (AAHMSNJ) from April 1st to June 27th.  The museum is located inside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center at 661 Jackson Road, Newtonville, NJ.  Collectors who wish to acquire pieces of art are invited to meet the artists and make a purchase before the exhibit ends on June 27th.

The Jersey Girls includes artwork by established and emerging women artists from the South Jersey art community. Featured artists include Linette Bond, Doris Botts, Julianne Calbazana (her Western Girl stained glass is pictured above), Nastassia Davis, Kandice Fields, Anne Taylor Glapion, Gina Gilbert, Jasmine Haines, Bee Harrison, Paula Hinson, Heather Hires, Brielle Hunter, Sydnéi Smith Jordan, Sylvia Knight, Valeria Marcus, Randi Meekins, Marilyn Parker, Gabrielle Peterson, Glynnis Reed Conway, Chanelle René, Soundra Usry-Hollingsworth, Sally Willowbee and Liz Wuillermin.

AAHMSNJ routinely supports talented artists by providing them with gallery opportunities. The NEW Jersey Girls exhibit includes several pieces from each artist, all of which are available for purchase. Works by Brielle Hunter, great-granddaughter of museum founder Ralph E. Hunter, Sr., will also be showcased.  

Jersey Girls is dedicated to late artists Soundra Usry-Hollingsworth, Doris Botts and Anne Taylor Glapion. Usry-Hollingsworth was a local television personality and the niece of Atlantic City’s first African American mayor. She is remembered for her involvement with United Way, the Miss America Pageant, and many community causes. She was the wife of Pierre Hollingsworth, a former Atlantic City Fire Captain and President of the Atlantic City chapter of the NAACP. The collection displays Usry-Hollingsworth's personal effects and discovered artwork.

Doris Botts exhibited her work for many years in Philadelphia and throughout South Jersey before her death. She worked steadily in a variety of media leaving behind a sizeable body of artwork that was recently acquired by AAHMSNJ's Ralph Hunter. Her talent and passion for art will be honored with a retrospective display titled, “Landscapes by Doris Botts.”

The late Anne Taylor Glapion was a beloved member of the AAHMSNJ Board, a dedicated volunteer, and curator of several popular museum exhibits. She was also an artist in her own right. From her paintings and clay creations to her unique jewelry, Glapion's creativity seemed endless. She lives on through her passion for telling African American stories with words and pictures that will forever be part of our museum. 

Jersey Girls has been curated by Gabrielle Peterson with the assistance of Stockton University interns Rachel Dunlap and Guivenchiali Saint Jean.

The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with facilities in Atlantic City and Newtonville, New Jersey. Our mission is to showcase the accomplishments and impact of African Americans in South Jersey and around the country. For more information about this event, visit aahmsnj.org or call 609-350-6662.